‘UPA gave Rs 100cr for waterlogging, but state did not utilise grant’

Countering the allegations of the SAD-BJP government that the Congress-led UPA regime at the Centre had remained vindictive against Punjab, the state’s leader of opposition Sunil Jakhar on Sunday slammed the Badal regime for not using central grants that were meant to improve condition of waterlogged areas in southwest Punjab.

In a statement here, in reaction to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s assertions against the Congress, the party’s senior leader Jakhar said it was the Manmohan Singh government that had allocated Rs 2,246 crore to solve the waterlogging menace in the state but the first instalment of Rs 100 crore remained unutilised by the state government.

Jakhar said the previous UPA government had sent the sanction letter on March 19, 2014, despite the fact that there was model code of conduct during the election and the central government had taken special permission from the Election Commission of India to issue the grant to Punjab. “Instead of making false allegations, the state government must tell how many projects and grants have been sanctioned by the new NDA government for Punjab. The chief minister used to say that if (Narendra) Modi will come (as PM), Punjab will have ‘acche din’ (good days),” Jakhar stated.

He added that farmers in the chief minister’ own district of Muktsar had been facing waterlogging.

“The state government should not always train its guns towards the central government, and rather accept its own failures.”